On December 4th, the film "Chiraq" was released in theaters across the U.S. The film was based after the Greek satire play "Lysistrata", the tale of a woman who gathered her fellow women to partake in a sex strike to end the Peloponnesian War. I finally viewed the movie the other night and I actually think it was okay. There were some parts I liked, some parts that made me want to cry, I laughed, and some parts I just had to do an eye squint at because they made no sense. While watching, I noticed a lot of symbols (duality) and metaphors such as the symbolism of sex and life and death, the contrast of the segregated city of Chicago, and even the gun being symbolic of the male's penis (a sexual organ which has also been compared to this object through literature).

I loved the style of the dialogue between the characters, which complimented poetic format used in the theater. I think there were very powerful moments in the movie, and there were even some references to the current onslaught of police brutality witnessed almost weekly in the past years. I appreciated the Chicago music genres of house, gospel, and even drill that complimented the Black culture of the city. It was also nice to see Chicago artists in the film like Vic Mensa, Sasha GoHard, and Jennifer Hudson who lost her mother, brother, and nephew to gun violence in 2008.

It is important that we understand that the issue of so called "Black on Black crime" is not occurring because Black people are uncontrollable and cannot be tamed, but because of generational, psychological, social, and systematic occurrences and normalicies stemming since the times of slavery. In a some ways I can understand how Mr. Lee reiterated those stereotypes in the film. Showing that Black men being hypersexual, violent beats who can only be mastered by a woman's sexual prowness. The notion of using sex to stop violence also puts a responsibility on women that is undeserving.

Sex is powerful and even sacred and spiritual. I think it's something that is widely underestimated and forgotten because we've become so desensitized to it. It has been used to sell things from images to ideas, to products. We do live in an increasingly hypersexual society where the images are everywhere, including in subliminal images in cartoons, believe it or not. While many don't agree with the portrayal of women in regards to having the responsibility to control men through sex, I saw this sex strike theme in the film beyond its surface level and as symbolic to life and death and power. These women used their sexuality as their power for peace, as some women use it as their power to gain other things. Without giving too much away, a character in the movie lost her child to gun violence and I saw that symbolic of motherhood, life (sex giving life), death, and guns. There was even a scene where an army tank had the words "PENIS ENVY" written on it, and I stated I felt that was having to do with that connection of sex, life, death, and the relationship between men and women.

Although many feel this is an age old solution, many women have participated in sex strikes in modern times. A 2003 Liberian sex strike was even shown in the movie. I honestly doubt a sex strike would work and is the end all, be all solution to stopping gang violence, but I do find a bit hypocritical that within pop culture, some of us have been immune to the idea of women using their bodies to seduce men, gain material items, and so forth. Some of us even call it "women empowerment" and "sexual liberation", but the idea of women owning their bodies by abstaining for sex for peace is an insane idea. I know these two comparisons are not entirely equal, but I do see that as a problem and as I stated before, I can see it as women owning their bodies/sexuality/power, the same way many people celebrate women doing so for other things.

I felt some parts of the film were a bit over the top, all over the place, and didn't flow with the film. Some parts would go from serious to comical real quick. There was one scene in particular where the two main characters Chiraq (Nick Cannon) and Lysistrata (Teyonah Parris) were going to have a "sex off" (right, that's what I said, "huh?") for peace and I was just like:

No.

Instead of some of those goofier scenes, I wish Spike Lee would have implemented scenes about the system of Chicago creating the climate for violence as I mentioned previously.

I understand why many of my fellow Chicagoans, and even non-Chicagoans felt the film is
exploitative. Prior to the filming of "Chiraq", Spike Lee had plans to use the story line for other films. It's also questionable that the media's eye has been on Chicago for the past few years and all of a sudden Mr. Lee wants to make a film about the gang violence. While I do not know Spike Lee's true intentions, I do feel we need to be open about the reasons behind the film. I would also hope that the conversation of exploitation extends to the many rappers in Chicago who have been celebrating the term "Chiraq" and creating music off the glorification of murdering Black bodies as well as those of us who support it.

Overall, I don't think the film was giving a message that sex strikes need to be organized in order to stop the violence, I feel it was more of an artistic expression. In closing, I think "Chiraq" wasn't Lee's best work, but it was an alright movie. I wish the plot was stronger and that he used this opportunity to expose the type of system (Black) Chicagoans have to endure because of the historic and current continuation of corrupt policies and government officials, such as the cover up of the Laquan McDonald murder by Mayor Rahm Emanuel. In the future, I will be watching this film again to analyze it more.

CONVERSATION

0
comments:

Post a Comment

"The Wiz Live!" was an amazing production. This year marked the 40th anniversary of the It was beautiful to see the all-Black cast perform the amazing tunes while easing on down the road to the Emerald City. Shoutouts to the whole cast, especially the amazing newcomer Shanice Williams who played Dorothy. Check out the video above for the scoop!

Of course Black Twitter came up with some of the funniest memes about the Emerald City. Check em out below:

CONVERSATION

1 comments:

Post a Comment

Ever since my mom introduced it to me, "The Wiz" has been one of my favorite musicals of all time. Next month on December 3, NBC will be presenting "The Wiz Live!" a live production of the 1975 Broadway musical "The Wiz". "The Wiz" was a latter-day spin on the original 1939 "The Wizard of Oz" movie based on a children's novel written by L. Frank Baum in 1900. What set "The Wiz" apart from "The Wizard of Oz" was the all Black cast and the introduction of African American music genres like funk, soul, jazz, and gospel. Actress and singer Stephanie Mills, who played the role of Dorothy in the Broadway series, will be playing Auntie Em in the "Live" show.

In 1978, Motown and Universal collaborated in taking the play to the big screen. The film starred Diana Ross as Dorothy alongside Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russel, Lena Horne, Richard Pryor, and Mabel King. Fans young and old would agree one of most iconic and favorite moments of this film was the "Ease On Down the Road" a funky contrast to "We're Off to See the Wizard" as Dorothy, Toto, the Tinman, Cowardly Lion, and the Scarecrow grooved down the yellow brick road.

The 2015 "Wiz" will be featuring newcomer actress and singer, 19 year old New Jersey native Shanice Willams who snagged the role as Dorothy and will be her first professional play. The young lady began singing in her church choir and has performed in several high school musicals prior to getting this amazing opportunity. Ms. Williams will be performing aside musical and acting legends like Queen Latifah, Common, David Alan Grier, Mary J. Blige, Ne-Yo, Uzo Aduba, and as previously mentioned, Ms. Stephanie Mills.

WATCH: "The Wiz Live!" Preview

I am absolutely ecstatic to see this production next month. The costumes look absolutely amazing and as a fashionista, I think my edges will be snatched when I see them live. I love the fact that Shanice Williams is a brand new, fresh face and she has a chance to get her shine on and show the world her talents. I will be sure to get in my pajamas, order a pizza, get my beverages, and prepare myself to watch this greatness next month. I will also be reviewing the show afterwards.

WATCH: "The Wiz Live!" Cast sings "Ease On Down the Road"

All this talk of "The Wiz" reminds me of the time Pam sang "Home" when she was competing against Gina to go on tour with Biggie.

CONVERSATION

2
comments:

Post a Comment

This past year has been filled with racial tension, news, and tragedies non-stop. If you haven't woken up to the issues going on in the lives of many Black people in America, I suggest you wake up, smell the coffee and do some research quickly.

This month, University of Missouri grad student and president of student organization "Concerned Student 1950" Jonathan Butler stood up against racial issues happening on his school's campus by staging a hunger strike protest until now former university president Tim Wolfe stepped down from his position. Butler and other students stated that they felt the administration ignored racist incidents that occurred on campus and had been protesting since October. The organization created a list of demands that they required for the rehabilitation of the social structure on campus including Mizzou increase the percentage of Black faculty and that Tim Wolfe write a handwritten apology to the group. The concerned students even stood around Wolfe's car blocking him at their homecoming game.

Jonathan Butler

Source: www.wjs.com

To sum up the events that have occurred this week, the Mizzou University football team stood in unity with Butler and protested against playing their next game until justice was served. The school would have lost millions of dollars if the football team had not played. The final results involved not only Tim Wolfe leaving his position, but also former chancellor R. Bowen Loftin. Amidst the glory of the two officials stepping down social media went a muck with threats against Black students."I'm going to stand my ground tomorrow and shoot every black person I see""Some of you are alright. Don't go to campus tomorrow"

Throughout the country, this activist spirit touched students of other campuses such as Yale, Howard University, and more here have responded to the protests in Mizzou by holding rallies in support and even spoken out against racial issues on their own campuses.

Mizzou Football team with Butler

Source: megynkelly.com

Of course conservative, closeted racist media is going out of its way to smudge and tarnish the efforts of these young people. The students have been accused of complaining, being rowdy, rude, and even facists. Some media entities have arrived on the Mizzou campus in hopes of getting interviews with student protesters, supporters, and participants but many have declined their offers. Some media sources *cough* Fox News *cough* have dug up information about Mr. Butler attempting to state his stance against racism is invalid due him coming from a rich family. Having money has nothing to do with racism when the world will always see you as a Black man a threat and a terror.

The efforts of these young people is commendable and courageous. While everything will not be perfect at these institutions, this is a start to something that can eventually bring permanent change. If these events have not shown you that the system of racism and White supremacy is alive and well, and that Jim Crow's legacy lives on, I don't know what to tell you except to read and research. .

It's been so long since we've seen a visual from Missy Elliott who has always been known for her naturally genuine creative edge and talent in front and behind the scenes. While Missy has seemed to taken a break from music in the past decade or so, she has been busy producing, performing at SuperBowl Halftime shows with Katy Perry, having "Ladies Night" reunions on Soul Train award shows, and creating songs and performing at concerts with Janet Jackson. Elliott has also been battling Graves disease, a hyperthyroid disorder which was a reason for her departure from the music industry.

Upon her entrance in the music industry in 1997, Missy Elliott has been a force to be reckoned with alongside with her partner in crime, producer Timbaland. Not only is she a spittin' sista, but she also sings, produces (as mentioned previously), dances, has written so many songs for other artists, and even has a list of protege artists. Without a doubt, Elliott is a true "renaissance woman" and has all the receipts to prove it. I recently found out she was singing the chorus on Fantasia Barrino's debut song "Free Yourself"! I remember growing up and my favorite Missy Elliott music videos were "Work It" and "Gossip Folks". I memorized the choreography and all the words, gettin' down in the bathroom listening to the songs on my headphones.

Missy Elliott has always been innovative in the style of her music, fashion, and her music videos. To this day all of these elements make and her work iconic. In a day and age where the thirst and desire to stand out and be seen as "creative" is alive and real, we most definitely have to give it up to Missy for her courage to genuinely be those things before it was trendy. To me, that's a true artist. What I also admire about Ms. Elliott is her courage to do what others feared, but is also her image. In the music industry, it's no secret female artists must have lighter skin, small physiques, straightened hair, among a list of other features and prerequesites that essentially have nothing to do with music. Ms. Elliott went against all odds as a plus size, darker skinned woman in the 1990's hip-hop industry, selling records and creating an impact based off pure talent. That's admirable and a reason she's an inspiration to me.

"WTF" is a cool, upbeat, dance anthem and the video was definitely poppin'. The sound of the song is definitely modern and compliments the current style of rap and hip-hop, but it still has the same classic Missy vibe to it. The costumes Missy and the dancers wore are great, I would wear that super shiny jumpsuit she had wore in the first scene in a heartbeat. As always, Missy has a futuristic meets urban fashion sense and aesthetic in her music videos. It was great to see actual choreography in a music video again! For whatever reason, choreographed dancing has not been as popular in hip-hop music videos as it was back in the day, being replaced with blatant liquor advertisements and bootiful models. My favorite scene was the puppets scene of Missy and Pharell. It was mad creepy, but so funny to see these damn puppets pop, lock, droppin', and boppin' it.

This is another fun, energetic track that will definitely get the clubs rockin' and I foresee many dancers creating choreography videos jammin' to this song. Although there is a modern, pop music inspired production to "WTF", the energy and style of the music video still remains flawlessly hip-hop. I must also compliment and commend Ms. Elliott for staying TRUE to herself and to her style in this new visual and song. In this era where veteran artists, especially in the r&b and hip-hop genres, are pressured to "stay relevant", many often abandon their originality to appeal to the younger audiences. When you're true to you, you always win. It's great to see an innovator of hip-hop come back in the scene. I am looking forward to seeing and hearing more of Missy Elliott's future work, especially if she can grab some of her fellow 90's femcee on a track.

CONVERSATION

0
comments:

Post a Comment

November is officially the beginning of the holiday season. Thanksgiving's Day food, Black Friday sales, and Christmas decorations are being prepared for American shoppers across the country. While we begin to shop 'til we drop, think about what we're thankful for and make plans to spend time with family and friends, unfortunately there are millions of people across the country who will not be able to experience these luxuries.

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, in 2014 578,424 Americans experienced homelessness. 216,197 of the people were in families and 362,163 were individuals. There are many factors to the causes of homelessness and this phenomenon effects people of all ages. To fight the homelessness, many groups, organizations, and individuals of different cities have created initiatives that target the termination of homelessness and poverty.

Source: www.va.gov

One concerned Chicagoan, Tamica Lankford created a group on Facebook called "Helping Chicago's Homeless". This month she and other members of the group will be passing out care bags to Chicago's homeless population. On why she started this movement, Tamica states that: "I started this group after looking for volunteer opportunities for my daughter and I, and not finding many things that would let us really help people. I didn't want to plant trees or just give time at places, I want to teach her the importance of caring and giving and hoped to get a group of my friends and I to go out with care bags, and it grew to almost 800 people super fast! We hope to join forces with other organizations that go directly to the homeless camps and get out there and really help the homeless people of Chicago."Tamica is also raising money to purchase supplies such as toothpaste, tampons, gift cards, and ziploc bags for the care bag distribution days, which will be on the 14th and 17th of November at two different locations in Chicago and in the Chicago area. Participants are also welcomed to donate items for the care bags as well. Tamica wishes to make this event something to do every few months to help the homeless in the city. Kudos to you and your activism, Tamica.For more information you can check the links below:Donation Page: https://www.youcaring.com/chicago-s-homeless-by-way-of-tamica-lankford-445130/update/389735Group Page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1052939354803771/Donation Drop-Off Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1075019489197072/

CONVERSATION

0
comments:

Post a Comment

This week, director and actor Spike Lee released the trailer for the movie "Chiraq". The film was announced to be filmed this past spring and shot this summer primarily on the south side of Chicago in the Englewood neighborhood. The trailer was 2 minutes and received very negative backlash from many Chicagoans. Many people stated that Lee was exploiting the city and making light of a serious situation, which is the violence in urban, majority Black communities of Chicago.

The 2 minute trailer featured a satirical like tone starring some actors like Nick Cannon, Jennifer Hudson, Samuel L. Jackson, and Dave Chapelle. It seems to be based off the Greek play "Lysistrata" composed by Aristophanes. This play told the tale of warring communities and the women who abstained from sex to reduce to violence. Like many Greek plays, this in particular has also been used in the 2003 film starring Miami rapper Trina, "A Miami Tail".

While I think the trailer was okay, I'm still going to see and judge to film in its entirety. I often wonder where are the outrage was when some of these artists in Chicago were getting famous off of glorifying the violence through music. I mean for the past few years, many Chicagoans have been praising, supporting and elevating rappers who glorify the same message so many of us claim to be against. I also wonder where the outrage was that was going to lead to some action being made to create solutions. Also, I'm not sure if some people know of Spike Lee's body of work and recognize the pro-Black cultural themes and historical stories he's told in his films.

Now don't get me wrong, it could very well be a bad film, but I think it's unwise to throw it in the trash off a few minutes. A lot of the backlash that I've been reading online has also reminded me how extremely reactionary many of us are. I always felt that if many of us had a sense of urgency and put as much energy creating solutions for the youth as we do making critiques, there probably would not be a "Chiraq" to begin with. Now I'm not saying you're not entitled to your opinion, and not stating that everyone who is anti-"Chiraq" the movie is not putting in any effort, but it's not enough of us willing to do the work.

Prior to the filming of "Chiraq", there have been plenty of "outsiders" coming to our city filming documentaries, short films, and other media sources about the unrest and violence in the city. You can see some of the documentaries here. I recall little to no backlash at that. Last year, Queens, New York rapper Nicki Minaj did a song entitled "Chiraq" with Chicago rapper Lil' Herb. I guess it's okay to exploit the violence in Chicago as long as you're from here.

Whether or not Lee is a Chicago native is also besides the point. There are plenty people in Chicago who can't tell you the history of Chicago, don't know the politics of current Chicago, can't explain the systematic reasoning for the gang violence and economic, racial, and educational inequalities, and so forth. If there is a requirement for someone to be native to a city to help tell a story, many films, documentaries, etc would not have been created. As quiet as it's kept, this is not an exclusive problem only Chicago had, this is a problem that has been plaguing inner city neighborhoods across the nation since the U.S. government funded Crack Era (even prior to this era).

Now, I'm not saying Spike Lee is a hero or savior. I don't expect him to give us an exact rundown of what to do to solve the violence. I think this film will be based about awareness and a reality check. Besides, it's thousands of initiatives, programs, and groups in Chicago that have been created to stop the gang violence, plenty of educational resources online and offline so the solutions are here, it's many of the people who do not or perhaps can not work or just simply do not care. All I'm saying is I think we should watch the film first, then give a critique on it.

"Chiraq" will be released December 4, 2015.

CONVERSATION

0
comments:

Post a Comment

Yesterday on 10/10/15, was the commemoration of the first Million Man March which occurred on October 16, 1995. The march was started by Nation of Islam minister, Louis Farrakhan and was a call to gather Black/African American men (and women) for Black unity and a cause to challenge the systematic murders of Black citizens by the police state.

Unfortunately due to my school schedule and funny money (haha), I did not get a chance to attend this positive event, but I heard nothing but good news about it.

In the National Mall in the nation's capital, thousands of men and women gathered to hear Minister Farrakhan speak about the power of the youth and importance of passing the leadership torch to the next generation. Other speakers, celebrities, and prominent leaders and public figures of the Black community attended in plans of unifying and seeking social justice.

While the vibrations seemed high and the energy was positive in Washington, D.C., of course on social media there were criticisms and negative commentary of the event. Of course the racists came out to troll online, but there were also many complaints that the march was not going to "solve anything". Others also stated that Minister Farrakhan had fooled and tricked the Black community and given them false hope with no solutions.

The irony of those statements is that many of the people with the criticism and negative commentary have no tangible solutions, programs, and/or do no community based work of their own. While I have no problem with people having their own opinion, I do feel that if you are going to tell people what they should not be doing, what doesn't work for the Black community, you should make it your duty to have alternatives on hand and ready to be worked on. People cannot continue to tell people what they're not doing right while sitting from the comfort of their home scrutinizing and critiquing everything. Join in, create your own project, but if you are not doing either, your opinion holds no weight or value.

No one ever stated that the MMM was the "end all, be all" to the problems Black people face in this country (or globally). This was specifically an event that promoted unity, brought people together to unify, build, network and find solutions to the problems. Ironically, the naysayers also failed to mention and acknowledge the many events, workshops, and other programs that were occurring in commemoration of the event. The participants of the MMM weren't just marching.

It was very powerful to see such a positive event take place this weekend even though I was not in attendance. Even if this rally inspired and woke up one individual who was "asleep", change has been made, especially for future generations.

CONVERSATION

0
comments:

Post a Comment

Every Labor Day weekend in Chicago is the annual African Festival of the Arts. Last year, I was honored to be apart of the amazing four day event as a model for the fashion show. This year, I layed back and enjoyed the food, people, performances, artwork, supported some vendors and the beautiful, positive vibes. Although this is only my second year attending the African Festival, this is definitely one of my favorite summer festivals in Chicago.

Held in Chicago's south side Washington Park, the festival has been around for the last twenty six years and celebrates the African diasporic cultures across the globe through the foundation and creation of art. The festival has different "villages" named after continental African empires such as Kush, Nubia, Timbuktu, and Songhay. There are local and international performers and artists that come to perform and celebrate promoting positive and unifying music that's enjoyable for the entire family and people of all ages.

What I love most about this festival is the overall positivity and embracing of African/Black cultures. In a society where everything Black and "Afrocentric" is shamed and devalued, this event gives people who represent different backgrounds of the African diaspora to come together. I love the fact that this event also promotes cooperative economics for local businesses, family, community, and identity. The last day of the festival is on Labor Day, I highly recommend everyone go out and enjoy.

CONVERSATION

0
comments:

Post a Comment

It's been a little minute since I've done a "Look of the Day" fashion blog. So the summer is coming to a close and I've been wanting to wear this dress for the whole season. I purchased it this past winter at a thrift store and I wanted to wear it for a somewhat special occasion or event. I rocked this retro red and white polka-dotted dress at the African Festival of the Arts in Washington Park. By the way, you can check my coverage of the event here :)

CONVERSATION

0
comments:

Post a Comment

This past weekend, the highly anticipated N.W.A. biopic "Straight Outta Compton" released in theaters resulting in the largest August box office opening for an R-Rated film. The "SOC" biopic followed the story of the notorious, Compton, California gangsta hip-hop group NWA ("Niggaz With Attitudes") from 1986-1995.

"SOC" told the story of five young Black men facing the harsh realities of the Crack Epidemic Era Compton. Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Eazy E, DJ Yella, and MC Ren.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film. I appreciated the fact that the cast consisted of newcomer talents instead of regular faces we've seen in Hollywood. This gave a chance for new actors to get their foot in the door and establish themselves in the entertainment industry. My favorite actors were Jason Mitchell (Eazy E), Neil Brown Jr. (DJ Yella), and Marcc Rose (2Pac).

Some of my favorite parts included the "F*ck the Police" scene, the L.A. Riots scene, and the "No Vaseline" scene. I think this reminded us of how dope and underrated Ice Cube was and is an an emcee and his contributions to hip-hop music. We know him today as the actor and producer of Hollywood films, but have forgotten how nice he was with the lyrics and how slept on the "No Vaseline" diss track is. The latter scenes also complimented the ongoing issues of police brutality faced in urban areas especially towards Black men and women. The "F*ck the Police" scene resonated with the power that hip-hop had and continues to have on the masses and how it can ignite change and influence political, social, and cultural views in an entire generation. Hip-hop has always been revolutionary.

Photo Credit: indiewire.com

In regards to hip-hop, I'm a bit more knowledgeable about East Coast hip-hop than West Coast hip-hop. Seeing this film has really opened my eyes to how impactful the West Coast has been to hip-hop culture. I never was a huge Eazy E fan, but learning about his formation of "Ruthless Records" made me see him as a businessman as much as a rapper.

Some parts I was a bit iffy about within the film included the wardrobe (specifically on the extras), the, in my opinion, a bit unnecessary look into the personal lives of Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, and leaving out Eazy E's diss track "Real Muthaphukkin G's". Some of the clothing that the extras and even some of the primary actors were wearing were not exactly late 1980's/early 1990's. I think that creating a very on point authentic feel to films set in particular eras are extremely important. I did not really see the purpose in having the scenes of Dr. Dre's love interest (I'm guessing his future wife Nicole Barnes) or Ice Cube's wife Kim Bauer. In my opinion, none of those scenes added any depth or relevancy to the film and did not lead to anything. Seeing that Eazy E's widow Tomica Wright was aiding him in his legal and financial issues and by his side during his unfortunate death, I could better understand her presence. I would have also liked to see more about Eazy E's business activity with Ruthless Records such as signing Bone Thugs 'N Harmony.

I also wish we got a chance to see more about the lives and the contributions of MC Ren and DJ Yella. It's common knowledge that Dr. Dre, Eazy E, and Ice Cube were the most popular members of the crew, which is also seen in the movie. Perhaps showcasing MC Ren and DJ Yella would have been "fillers" and added no depth to the film. I feel that the film also should have had an emphasis on how controversial N.W.A. was at the time. Because of it being normalized, vulgar lyrics and images in rap and hip-hop are not cringed over as they once were, but during the time, hip-hop was already a scorned and demonized genre by the American media. So to have a group like N.W.A. come out of Compton and "glorify" subjects like drugs, violence, criminal activity, and misogyny was a huge deal.

Upon the release of the film, reports of Dr, Dre's past involving domestic violence was shared via blogs and news articles on social media. In the early 1990's, it was reported that he assaulted a reporter named Dee Barnes, and his ex-wife, an r&b singer named Michel'le. I honestly have mixed feelings about this. On one hand I understand why it is important this is discussed, but on the other hand I'm not sure if I agree with digging things up from the past. Yet, I can see this very thorough connection of domestic violence and the aggressively misogynistic lyrics that N.W.A. endorsed when they were active.

Photo Credit: moviepilot.com

Another controversial topic that arose on social media was the negative impact and legacy that N.W.A. had on the future on hip-hop and continues to have. N.W.A. was the primary rap group used by record executives to neutralize the conscious movement that had been established within the beginnings of hip-hop. Hip-hop is a direct result of the 1960's and 1970's Black Power Movement. N.W.A. was the exact opposite of what the KRS-Ones, Rakims, and Afrika Bambaatas of the East Coast had been doing for the last decade. Although we must be honest of the negative impact N.W.A. had on hip-hop culture, we also must realize the climate that birthed N.W.A. (U.S. government created Crack Epidemic, the engineering of HIV/AIDS in the Black community) and take account for the music industry executives like Jerry Heller who took advantage of the youth in order to promote these messages. This continues to happen today.

In the movie, the theme was "reality rap". Young people rapping about the reality of growing up in Compton during the Crack Epidemic, gang activity, poverty, crime, and violence in their community. The premise of hip-hop, specifically the element of emceeing also involves storytelling and speaking your truth. With these in mind, we still cannot ignore the negative messages that many of N.W.A.'s lyrics sent to youth. But in reality, the only "gangstas" of the group were MC Ren and Eazy E who were both apart of the Crips street gang and involved in drug dealing.

The question that poses is eventually, how long will rappers continue to spit about the street life once they have made it out the hood? "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash was reality rap. Even tying into the context of many rap songs today, how long will the same topics of bitches and hoes be "reality"? This overall theme of hyper masculinity and misogyny in hip-hop and emphasis on disrespecting women, drugs, violence, and criminal activity are direct results of the emasculation of Black men in America, the cycle of ignorance, and many other themes relating to the destruction and war on the Black family that has been brewing since Black people were put into America as slaves.

The discussion of N.W.A. and their legacy of negative and neutralization of hip-hop is a very loaded and complex one. Depending on ones' lens, there could be no right or wrong answer to why the group was created and why they celebrated certain themes in their music. Although these are accurate notions, we must be honest about the legacy that N.W.A. left on the future of hip-hop as well as the timeline that lead up to their formation and the factors of poverty, drugs, and violence in urban areas. In regards to the film, I enjoyed it and I definitely would like to see it again. I hope this discussion on the climate of urban living and poverty in connection to culture and music continues to occur.

CONVERSATION

0
comments:

Post a Comment

It seems that in 2015, many rappers have been called out for allegedly having ghostwriters. Recently, Toronto rapper and singer Drake was called out by Meek Mill for not writing his rhymes. In a interview with DJ Vlad, former video model and author Karrine "Superhead" Steffans touched on the subject of ghostwriting and the "behind the scenes" culture within the modern music industry.

Although many people are not fans of Karrine Steffans, I have to give props when someone speaks the truth no matter who they are. About a week ago, I posted a status on my Facebook page questioning whether or not artists get too much praise. I asked this question because numerous music artists have an entire team behind them to establish and maintain their brand and image. In current times, the image and brand of artists seems to be more marketable principal than the actual talent. There are hair, make up, and fashion stylists, creative directors, choreographers, writers, engineers, managers, and a plethora of other individuals behind the scenes who create the final product of these mainstream artists. When we watch music videos, we give credit to the artist, not the director who came up with idea for the amazing theme. When we listen to certain genres of music, we sometimes give credit to the artist, and not the engineer, the producer, or the writer.

Steffans stated that the reason the popular opinion was that Drake won the beef between himself and Meek Mills was because Drake "looks better". Even though I feel that statement is a bit of a stretch, I do see how that statement could be applicable in regards to colorism. I mean, it's no secret that skin tone along with physical appearance is a prominent factor within marketing in the music industry. "That's why you have packaging," Steffans continued. "That's why you have someone coming in telling you how to wear your hair and what to wear and gain weight, lose weight, get a tan, do this, do that, because the packaging matters a lot of times more than the actual talent. And a lot of people aren't really talented." Vlad and Steffans continued to discuss how they have witnessed many artists come into recording studios and perform horribly, but because there are audio engineers who can repair and mold their vocals, their music sounds better than originally recording it.

Steffans also stated: "No man is an island, and it takes a village to create an album so...there's all this packaging that goes in behind the scenes. The thing with consumers is that they don't know all of that, they don't see all of that. It's kinda like when you go to a movie everyone leaves when the credits start...The consumer doesn't care about that, they just wanna see the show."

This interview provided a lot of insight to the behind the scenes happenings of the music industry. While I'm still not sure Drake writes for Lil' Wayne (which I wouldn't put past), I think her commentary about packaging, marketing, and the lack of true talent in the music industry is spot on. As consumers and persons who are on the outside looking in, many of us usually don't take the time to research who the individuals behind the scenes who are the molders of many artists we glorify. Many of us consumers realize how we have been trained to appreciate artists based on their image and overall final package more than their talent. In general, our minds have been both subconsciously and consciously indoctrinated to accept images (of one particular standard of "success" and "beauty") and with no regards for the work that was put into creating them. In laments terms, we are extremely shallow as a society because of the standards that have been shoved down our throats since childhood.

Although these factors do not apply to every single mainstream artist, naturally a team is most likely needed when big name rappers and singers are so preoccupied with promotions, concerts, business ventures, and other music industry "necessities". However, I do feel that consumers should begin to do more research into the individuals who help mold artists into their "final package". Yet, this may crush the fantasies of stans and fans as well as mortalize and humble some big artists until the point the hype and fame is reduced once the behind the scenes power is revealed. Then again, many people are nonchalant about these factors and are concerned about the final package.

In closing, this is apart of the reason I personally appreciate talented underground artists and go out of my way to support them. A significant amount of them do not have the luxury of stylists, choreographers, writers, and other team members and have to put in work by themselves or with minimal assistance. These are regular, everyday people who utilize their own money and time into producing art. This does not devalue the talent of mainstream artists or mean they cannot be applauded for their hard work and artistry, but it does affirm that we should consider the equally hard work their team members contribute into creating and retaining their image and brand.

CONVERSATION

0
comments:

Post a Comment

Last week, Queen, NY rapper Nicki Minaj took to Twitter to address her being snubbed by the MTV Music Awards. She was nominated for three other awards, but was not nominated for Video of the Year award. Minaj stated her rant in these following tweets:

(TEAm Curtains Twitter)

Taylor Swift felt "some type a way" like Rich Homie Quan and decided to respond to the tweets by accusing NM of putting women against each other.

I definitely know for a fact the music industry/pop culture industry contains racism, racist undertones, and I think Nicki Minaj made solid points about if "Anaconda" was made my a White woman with a slim body, it would be praised and nominated. In my opinion, I don't see the sincerity in NM's rant. I feel that she only stated this not to stand up for Black women in the music industry, but because SHE did not receive a nomination for VOTY. If racism in the industry is apparent, it shouldn't take not getting nominated to speak up about it. I truly wonder if she did get nominated for VOTY would she still speak up for other Black women in the industry seeing that she has such a large platform to do so?

In general, I feel the quality of music continues to deteriorate.

Trini Trent on the topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF2X1QwOcmo

CONVERSATION

0
comments:

Post a Comment

For the past two years, there has been a very HEAVY discussion of cultural appropriation on social media. For those of you who are unaware, cultural appropriation is defined as: " is the adoption or use of elements of one culture by a member or members of a different culture. Cultural appropriation may eventually lead to the imitating group being seen as the new face of said cultural practices." (According to Wikipedia)There has been public scrutiny and backlash of celebrities like Miley Cyrus, Iggy Azalea, Katy Perry, Lily Allen, Justin Timberlake, and many more accused of participating in cultural theft. Here are a few photo examples:

Miley Cyrus mocking Black American urban culture

("We Can't Stop" Miley Cyrus music video screenshot)

Katy Perry mimicking Japanese geisha culture

(Huffpost Image)

Iggy Azalea wearing a traditional East Indian sari with Indian women in the background

("Bounce" Iggy Azalea music video screenshot)

Kylie Jenner accused of trying to emulate Black women features with her lip surgery and bronzed skin in this photo.

(Kylie Jenner Instagram screenshot)

Those are pretty clear examples of cultural appropriation that some White people in the music industry and pop culture have been partaking it. It alludes to the notion that people of color are degraded for celebrating their culture, but when a White person does it, these pieces of clothing, physical features, vernacular, etc are praised. Many media outlets have also attempted to credit White celebrities as the founders of certain hairstyles like bantu knots.

With this being said, my confusion about cultural appropriation came to be when seeing people of color "appropriating" cultures from other peoples of color. Here are a few examples:

Destiny's Child dressed in traditional Japanese kimonos

(Getty Images)

Japanese hip hop culture is very affluent in cities like Tokyo. Hip hop culture was founded in urban Black America. Is this man wearing an afro and "urban hip hop wear" appropriation?

(Bad-Perm.com)

Rihanna dressed as a "chola". Chola culture is Mexican American and heavily influenced in the West Coast

(The Guardian)

In laments terms, where are the lines of cultural appropriation drawn at? Is it only an issue when White people participate in it? Is it an issue when African Americans adorn themselves in African clothing although they did not grow up in places like Nigeria or Cameroon? Are tattoos in languages such as Arabic appropriation? What are your thoughts about the extended conversation about cultural appropriation?